Images: British Open gets underway in Scotland
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - Tiger Woods has signed for his worst round as a professional at St. Andrews.
Woods shot an ugly 4-over 76 in the opening round of the British Open, failing to take advantage of the favorable scoring conditions Thursday. The tone was set right away when he dumped a wedge shot into the burn that runs in front of the first green, leading to the first of five bogeys.
He finally made his only birdie of the day at the par-5 14th, but he'll go to the second round a daunting 11 shots behind the clubhouse leader, Dustin Johnson.
In other words, Woods' main priority on Friday will be making the cut. That's a far cry from his previous performances at St. Andrews, where he won the claret jug in 2000 and 2005.
Woods walked off the course tied for 133rd, having bested only two other players to complete their rounds.
Johnson opened with a 7-under 65 to grab the lead at the British Open on Thursday. Spieth is just two shots back and in good shape to carry on his quest for an unprecedented Grand Slam.
Spieth made a couple of bogeys on the back side, stumbling at the 17th after finding the notorious Road Hole bunker. But he finished on a high, rolling in a 20-foot birdie putt at the final hole for a 67 that put him right in the thick of things after Day 1 at St. Andrews.
The 21-year-old Texan has already won the Masters and the U.S. Open, the latter when Johnson three-putted from 12 feet on the 72nd hole to lose by a stroke.
If Johnson is still bothered by that shocking loss, he sure didn't show it. He made an eagle at the par-5 fifth and tacked on five birdies during a bogey-free round.
United States' Dustin Johnson speaks with his caddie Austin Johnson on the seventh green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
United States' Jordan Spieth, right, speaks with his caddie Michael Greller on the 12th hole during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
South Africa's Charl Schwartzel tees off from the first during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States' Dustin Johnson gestures after a birdie on the fifth green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
South Africa's Charl Schwartzel lines up a putt on the sixth green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Sweden's David Lingmerth throws his club after a bad shot onto the 14th green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
United States' Dustin Johnson crosses Swilcan Bridge on hole 18 during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Sweden's David Lingmerth plays out of the bunker on the 16th hole during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
United States' Robert Streb drives the ball from the 18th tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
United States' Dustin Johnson, left, and United States' Jordan Spieth walk to the tenth tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
United States' Dustin Johnson speaks with his caddie Austin Johnson on the seventh green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
South Africa's Retief Goosen follows his drive from the sixth tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
United States' Jordan Spieth, right, speaks with his caddie Michael Greller on the 12th hole during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
South Africa's Charl Schwartzel tees off from the first during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States' Dustin Johnson gestures after a birdie on the fifth green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States' Tiger Woods walks on the 18th green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States' Jordan Spieth plays a second shot from the 12th hole during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States' Jordan Spieth, right, and United States' Dustin Johnson chat after finishing on the 18th green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
United States' Robert Streb gestures after putting on the 17th green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
South Africa's Charl Schwartzel lines up a putt on the sixth green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
India's Anirban Lahiri follows his drive from the 11th tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
England's Justin Rose drives the ball from the second tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Nick Faldo drives a ball from the second tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
England's Justin Rose waits to play on the first green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
United States' Keegan Bradley drives a ball from the fourth tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
United States' John Daly holds up his ball after putting on the tenth green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
United States' John Daly drives a ball from the 11th tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
United States' John Daly, right, and his caddie Anna Cladakis talk on the 11th tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
United States' Phil Mickelson drives a ball from the fourth tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Sweden's Henrik Stenson drives from the fourth tee during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Thursday, July 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
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